Notes from MaynardCAN!/Transition Maynard’s “Trash Talk” 2-11-2012:
[Please note: The following is a summary of the event in article form. Blog comments and invitation for feedback are in other posts.]
A well-attended book discussion on reducing waste was hosted by Transition Maynard, a project of MaynardCAN! (Climate Action Network), at the Maynard Public LIbrary on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, Heather Roger’s startling expose on the history and mega-business of trash, focused our discussion as a jumping-off point for action at local and state/Federal levels.
Two of Rogers’ main points were 1. how the costs of making and disposing of packaging are externalized from the corporation to the taxpayer and the environment -- they get the profits, we pay to get rid of packaging (and the product when it wears out) and the Earth bears the burden; and 2. that we must reduce production and disposables from the front end, not trash at the back end. She muses: “If it's feasible to create the kinds of facilities that handle our garbage today - to bond poisons with neutralizing materials at the molecular level as they're leaving an incinerator stack... then surely it must be possible to restructure production to eliminate waste before it gets made.”
Two special guests added information and energy to our discussion: Kevin Sweet, who as Assistant Town manager wears many hats at Town Hall, came in his current capacity as Integrated Solid Waste Manager, a position overseeing our trash and recycling program. Besides discussing the process of renewing or changing trash contractors (detailed above in Mike’s post), Kevin answered many detailed questions and fielded ideas and suggestions about how our town can deal with litter and trash issues more effectively. Kevin also mentioned Maynard’s award last year for our recycling program and shared that our recycling percentage is higher than many communities, over 40%, giving us a low per capita trash level in Massachusetts and aving taxpayer monies.
Rob Gogan served on the Maynard Board of Health for 10 years, introducing our curbside recycling and “pay as you throw” collection programs and munnicipal composting. Currently at Harvard University Campus Services, he oversees recycling, surplus and trash there and works to help Harvard “waste nothing.” Rob gave us hope by sharing data that 2/3 of our trash is actually recycleable (27% paper, 16% plastic, 6% metal and 17% organic matter) - so as we teach ourselves and each other to compost and recycle more effectively, our amount of trash can be reduced quite a bit!
Participants came up with fabulous, creative ideas about follow-up on this issue. Some frequently mentioned suggestions were:
1. encouraging local businesses to reduce wasteful packaging in a variety of ways, from persuasion and accolades for those who recycle more, to town ordinances,* to returning the packaging at the register! (for example, require local businesses that sell alkaline batteries to accept them back and recycle them properly; require Walgreen’s and CVS to accept sharps and old medications if they profit from filling prescriptions). Other concrete suggestions were to urge all local restaurants to use compostable take-out containers rather than environmentally negative styrofoam, and to change over our school cafeterias from using styrofoam to compostable trays.
2. write to manufacturers directly asking them to reduce or dispense with packaging
3. creating a blog on the MaynardCAN.org website to continue supporting each other’s efforts
4. re-using everything possible rather than recycling; utilizing freecycle.org or other give-away organizations; linking the Board of Health website’s list “How do I get rid of...?” to MaynardCAN.org
5. downsizing one’s home and/or possessions (rather than feeding the rapidly growing Self-Storage market) - if we need help, using one of our local residents in the organizing field
6. using the money one can gain from re-use and re-sale to support the costs of downsizing (up to $730 for a one-ton truck to haul away junk), and to support local trash-reduction programs
7. push the US Congress to stop treating corporations as people
8. set a municipal goal of Zero Waste, becoming the first Massachusetts town to do so
9. more education in town about how to compost; increase our rate of composting
10. setting up a local food co-op that can be used as a community gathering place and a center for loaning shared tools and appliances (the “Zip car” concept through community-building), recycle & swap center; or set up a swap center for paint, furniture, etc. at our town dump
11. holding neighborhood lawn pot-lucks in warmer weather to get to know our neighbors and discuss these ideas with them; create local neighborhood projects of reducing and re-using.
12. spreading the word about dangers of medications in our waters: have campaigns and signs - “Don’t Dump Medications in the Toilet! Wrap them in duct tape and put in trash to be incinerated!” around town and on websites.
13. learn how to influence others at all levels for positive change.
I'd like for us to set up a gift swap or a just stuff for ourselves swap, so we can give each other things one person doesn't need and another might -- that way, we don't have to go into malls or stores and come out with stuff we didn't even need!
ReplyDeleteI also like the idea of making simple recipes of liquid or bar soap for home use and gift giving.
And maybe get togethers for clothes mending sort of like the old sewing circles or quilting bees.
I think tiny businesses are starting to use the local farmer's market for more than just food. Maybe that would be a good place to start community table swaps and/or sewing, bartering, etc.. I just went to the Russell's winter farmer's market for the first time and loved the idea of lots of small local home businesses having an outlet even in the winter!
Sarah